Charulata

Satyajit Ray is the great auteur of Indian cinema and one who early on broke through in the West. Charulata is a masterfully restrained and elegant tale of love and repressed desire. The film is set in 1879, but still appears timeless and modern.

Charulata is a masterfully restrained and elegant tale of love and suppressed desire. The story unfolds in 1879, and although Ray places great emphasis on portraying an accurate historical setting, the film comes across in every way as timeless and modern.

Charu is married to a Bengali intellectual who serves as the editor of an English-language newspaper. He is consumed by his work and has little time for Charu, who spends her dull days alone, engaged in embroidery and reading. When Amal, her husband's younger cousin, pays a visit, she finds a kindred spirit with whom she can discuss her literary interests. A friendship blossoms, and it becomes evident that Charu harbors feelings for him that go beyond mere friendship.

Cinemateket in Oslo

Director

Satyajit Ray (1921 - 1992) was an Indian filmmaker from Kolkata, regarded as one of the most significant directors of all time. His debut feature and the first film in the Apu Trilogy, Pather Panchali (1955), achieved great success at international film festivals. Besides the famous trilogy of films, he gave us several other classics, including The Music Room (1958), The Big City (1963) and Charulata (1964), to name a few.

This film is part of